I Wanna Be Where You Are

Last updated
"I Wanna Be Where You Are"
Michael Jackson - I Wanna Be Where You Are.jpg
Single by Michael Jackson
from the album Got to Be There
B-side "We've Got a Good Thing Going"
ReleasedMay 2, 1972
RecordedNovember 1971
Genre
Length3:01
Label Motown
M1202F
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Hal Davis
Michael Jackson singles chronology
"Rockin' Robin"
(1972)
"I Wanna Be Where You Are"
(1972)
"Ain't No Sunshine"
(1972)

"I Wanna Be Where You Are" is a song written by Arthur "T-Boy" Ross and Leon Ware for Michael Jackson, who took the song to number 7 in Cash Box and number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart. It also reached number 2 on the Billboard R&B singles chart in 1972.

Contents

The song was his third straight top-ten pop hit during his early solo career with Motown. It was the first collaboration between Ware and Ross, the younger brother of Diana Ross. This song is one of Jackson's most covered songs, with versions by Zulema, Marvin Gaye, Willie Hutch, Jason Weaver and later The Fugees. Ware and Ross also penned the Marvin Gaye hit "I Want You" several years afterwards.

The song was remixed by Dallas Austin for the 2009 release The Remix Suite .

Track listing

Covers and samples

1970s

1980s

1990s

2000s

2010s

Beyoncé Knowles version

American R&B recording artist Beyoncé covered the song during her 2009 revue show I Am... Yours, which was held four consecutive nights in July and August. It was later included on her live CD/DVD I Am... Yours: An Intimate Performance at Wynn Las Vegas , which contained the performances from the show of the revue. [5] Later, she covered the song for her 2011 revue show 4 Intimate Nights with Beyoncé held during four non-consecutive nights in August 2011. [6] [7] After delving into her musical history during the show, Knowles states: "I just want to have a good time with y'all," before she begins the revue's set list with her rendition of "I Wanna Be Where You Are", further recalling that she loved singing the song. [8] [9] It was included on the live DVD Live at Roseland: Elements of 4 released on November 21, 2011. [10]

On October 8, 2011 a pre-taped performance of Knowles performing "I Wanna Be Where You Are" was shown at the Michael Forever tribute concert at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales. [11] [12] During the performance, she was backed by her all-female band and wore an Afro wig as she performed a funk version of the song. [11] Before beginning the song, she stated: "I remember seeing Michael Jackson for the first time. Lord knows I fell in love... Watching him I realized exactly what I wanted to be. He inspired me so much. As a matter of fact, the first song I performed with Destiny's Child was a Jackson 5 song. It's called 'Where You Are.' It's the song we auditioned to get our record deal. It was the beginning of our future. I love you forever, Michael Jackson." [11] A writer of Rap-Up noted that she "gave audience members goosebumps as she channeled MJ with her moves". [11] Mark Iraheta of Complex magazine wrote that she "lit up the stage and showed off some funky dance moves". [13]

Song credits

Michael Jackson version

Marvin Gaye version

Charts

Weekly chart performance for "I Wanna Be Where You Are" by Michael Jackson
Chart (1972)Peak
position
Turkey Singles Chart 87
US Billboard Hot 100 [14] 16
US Billboard Hot Soul Singles 2

Related Research Articles

<i>Whats Going On</i> (album) 1971 album by Marvin Gaye

What's Going On is the eleventh studio album by American soul singer Marvin Gaye. It was released on May 21, 1971, by the Motown Records subsidiary label Tamla. Recorded between 1970 and 1971 in sessions at Hitsville U.S.A., Golden World, United Sound Studios in Detroit, and at The Sound Factory in West Hollywood, California, it was Gaye's first album to credit him as producer and to credit Motown's in-house session musicians, known as the Funk Brothers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Heard It Through the Grapevine</span> 1966 song written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong

"I Heard It Through the Grapevine" is a song written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong for Motown Records in 1966. The first recording of the song to be released was produced by Whitfield for Gladys Knight & the Pips and released as a single in September 1967. It went to number one on the Billboard R&B Singles chart and number two on the Billboard Pop Singles chart and shortly became the biggest selling Motown single up to that time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">What's Going On (song)</span> 1971 single by Marvin Gaye

"What's Going On" is a song by American singer-songwriter Marvin Gaye, released in 1971 on the Motown subsidiary Tamla. It is the opening track of Gaye's studio album of the same name. Originally inspired by a police brutality incident witnessed by Renaldo "Obie" Benson, the song was composed by Benson, Al Cleveland, and Gaye and produced by Gaye himself. The song marked Gaye's departure from the Motown Sound towards more personal material. Later topping the Hot Soul Singles chart for five weeks and crossing over to number two on the Billboard Hot 100, it would sell over two million copies, becoming Gaye's second-most successful Motown song to date. It was ranked at number 4 in Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of all Time in 2004 and 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sexual Healing</span> 1982 single by Marvin Gaye

"Sexual Healing" is a song recorded by American singer Marvin Gaye from his seventeenth and final studio album, Midnight Love (1982). It was his first single since his exit from his long-term record label Motown earlier in the year, following the release of the In Our Lifetime (1981) album the previous year. It peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and is listed at number 198 on Rolling Stone's list of 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. "Sexual Healing" is written and composed in the key of E-flat major and is set in time signature of 4/4 with a tempo of 94 beats per minute.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Got to Give It Up</span> 1977 single by Marvin Gaye

"Got to Give It Up" is a song by American music artist Marvin Gaye. Written by the singer and produced by Art Stewart as a response to a request from Gaye's record label that he perform disco music, it was released in March 1977.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Want You (Marvin Gaye song)</span> 1976 single from the eponymous album

"I Want You" is a song written by Leon Ware and Arthur "T-Boy" Ross and performed by American singer and songwriter Marvin Gaye. It was released as a single in 1976 on his fourteenth studio album of the same name (1976) on his Tamla label. The song introduced a change in musical styles for Gaye, who before then had been recording songs with a funk edge. "I Want You", among other similar songs, gave him a disco audience. Ware, who produced the song alongside Gaye, also was attributed with the single's success.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Your Precious Love</span> 1967 single by Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell

"Your Precious Love" is a popular song that was a 1967 hit for Motown singers Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. The song was written by Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson, and produced by Harvey Fuqua and Johnny Bristol. The doo-wop styled recording features background vocals by Fuqua, Gaye, Terrell and Bristol, and instrumentals by The Funk Brothers with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. The song peaked at #5 on Billboard Pop Singles chart, #2 on Billboard's R&B Singles chart, and the top 40 on Billboard's Easy Listening survey. The song was later sampled by Gerald Levert on the song, "Your Smile", on his 2002 album, The G Spot.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Can I Get a Witness</span> 1963 single by Marvin Gaye

"Can I Get a Witness" is a song composed by Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, and Eddie Holland and produced by Brian Holland and Lamont Dozier as a non-album single for American recording vocalist Marvin Gaye, who issued the record on Motown's Tamla imprint in September 1963.

<i>I Want You</i> (Marvin Gaye album) 1976 studio album by Marvin Gaye

I Want You is the fourteenth studio album by American soul singer and songwriter Marvin Gaye. It was released on March 16, 1976, by the Motown Records-subsidiary label Tamla.

<i>Diana & Marvin</i> 1973 studio album by Diana Ross and Marvin Gaye

Diana & Marvin is a duets album by American soul musicians Diana Ross and Marvin Gaye, released October 26, 1973 on Motown. Recording sessions for the album took place between 1971 and 1973 at Motown Recording Studios in Hollywood, California. Gaye and Ross were widely recognized at the time as two of the top pop music performers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leon Ware</span> American singer and songwriter (1940-2017)

Leon Ware was an American songwriter, producer, composer, and singer. Besides a solo career as a performer, Ware was best known for producing hits for other artists including Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones, Maxwell, Minnie Riperton and Marvin Gaye, co-producing the latter's album, I Want You.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">After the Dance (song)</span> 1976 single by Marvin Gaye

"After the Dance" is a slow jam recorded by singer Marvin Gaye and released as the second single off Gaye's 1976 hit album I Want You. Though it received modest success, the song was widely considered to be one of Gaye's best ballads and served as part of the template for quiet storm and urban contemporary ballads that came afterwards.

<i>Live at the London Palladium</i> 1977 live album by Marvin Gaye

Live at the London Palladium is a live double album by soul musician Marvin Gaye, released March 15, 1977, on Tamla Records. Recording sessions took place live at several concerts at the London Palladium in London, England, in October 1976, with the exception of the hit single "Got to Give It Up", which was recorded at Gaye's Los Angeles studio Marvin's Room on January 31, 1977. Live at the London Palladium features intimate performances by Gaye of many of his career highlights, including early hits for Motown and recent material from his previous three studio albums. As with his previous live album, Marvin Gaye Live!, production of the record was handled entirely by Gaye, except for the studio portion, "Got to Give It Up", which was managed by Art Stewart.

Arthur "T-Boy" Ross was an American singer and songwriter most notable for his collaborations with Leon Ware. He was the younger brother of entertainer Diana Ross.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zulema</span> American singer

Zulema Cusseaux, usually credited as Zulema, was an American disco and R&B singer and songwriter. Aside from her solo career, she was a member of an early line up of Faith, Hope and Charity and worked as a backing vocalist and songwriter with Aretha Franklin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">All This Love (DeBarge song)</span> 1982 single by DeBarge

"All This Love" is a single by DeBarge, released on October 17, 1982. The song was released as the third and final single from their second studio album of the same title on the Gordy label. The single would help DeBarge rise to R&B stardom. A cover version of the song was recorded by Patti LaBelle on her 1994 gold album Gems. A video for her version was also filmed.

<i>One to One</i> (Syreeta album) 1977 studio album by Syreeta

One to One is the third studio album released by American R&B singer and songwriter Syreeta Wright in February 1977 by Motown. It serves as her first album Wright released where former husband Stevie Wonder did not oversee most of its production, instead only being involved with the song "Harmour Love", which was released as a single.

<i>Renaissance</i> (The Miracles album) 1973 studio album by The Miracles

Renaissance is a 1973 album by R&B group The Miracles on Motown Records' Tamla label. It was the first album by the group not to feature original lead singer Smokey Robinson on lead vocals, instead featuring him as executive producer. Robinson was replaced by lead singer Billy Griffin.

"Give Me Just Another Day" (T54240F) is a song written by Leon Ware and released as a single in 1973 by Motown R&B group The Miracles, issued on that label's Tamla Records subsidiary. It was the first single release from the group's album, Do It Baby, which was released the following year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Come Live with Me Angel</span> 1976 soul song by Marvin Gaye

"Come Live with Me Angel" is a smooth soul song by soul singer Marvin Gaye. The song was co-written by singer-songwriter Leon Ware and lyricist Jacqueline Dalya-Hilliard for the former's album Musical Massage. However, Ware gave it to Gaye as he showed interest in it, as well as the other songs Ware had written with Arthur Ross. The song first appeared on Gaye's album I Want You as the second track.

References

  1. "jose-feliciano R&B chart-history". Billboard .
  2. "Hav Plenty: Music From The Motion Picture: Various Artists, Wendy Melvoin: Music". Amazon. 1998. Retrieved 2012-02-11.
  3. Reid, Shaheem (September 26, 2009). "50 Cent Finally Celebrates 40 Day In Queens". MTV News. MTV Networks . Retrieved July 8, 2012.
  4. "Brazil Chill overview". Allmusic.com .
  5. Remekie, Tanya (November 19, 2009). "Beyoncé Unleashes Sasha Fierce on DVD". Rap-Up . Devin Lazerine. Retrieved July 8, 2012.
  6. Parent, Marie-Joelle (August 20, 2011). "Concert intime avec Beyoncé". Le Journal de Montréal (in French). Quebecor. ISSN   0839-5179. OCLC   502914813 . Retrieved July 8, 2012.
  7. Mumbi Moody, Nekesa (August 16, 2011). "Beyoncé showcases her dominance at concert". Associated Press via The Jamaica Observer . Retrieved July 8, 2012.
  8. Ramirez, Erika (August 15, 2011). "Beyonce Owns NYC in '4' Concert Debut". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved July 8, 2012.
  9. Johnston, Maura (August 15, 2011). "Live: Beyoncé Wants To Make You (And You, And You) Happy". The Village Voice . Village Voice Media. Archived from the original on May 18, 2013. Retrieved May 9, 2013.
  10. "allmusic ((( Live at Roseland: Elements of 4 > Overview )))". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation . Retrieved July 8, 2012.
  11. 1 2 3 4 "Beyoncé Covers Michael Jackson Classic at Tribute Concert (Video)". Rap-Up. Devin Lazerine. October 8, 2011. Retrieved July 8, 2012.
  12. Perry, Simon (October 8, 2011). "Michael Jackson's Children Honor Their Late Father". People . Time Inc . Retrieved July 8, 2012.
  13. "Video: Beyoncé Pays Tribute To Michael Jackson In Wales". Complex . Complex Media. October 11, 2011. Retrieved July 8, 2012.
  14. "Michael Jackson Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. 30 September 2021. Retrieved 30 September 2021.